Universal grate-bar-molding machine



Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,332

1'. rl-loMsEN, SR., ET AL UNIVERSAL RATE BAR MOLDING MACHINE Filed nach s. 192s 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 13, 1927.

1,652,332 'r-. THoMsEN. sn., ET A.

UNIVERSAL GRATE BAR MOLDING MACHINE A 2 sheets-snee: 2

- i F116!! latch 6. 1926 YPatented Dec. 13, 19277.

.UNITED STATES- rnnonon lr'norzrsnn,k sn., 'Ann TH-noDoRl 'ri-rorrfsnn; JR., or- MUNSTER; GERMAY;

. l 11,652,332 PATENT jor-Free e.

wirronr; NEAR NEU- UNIvEnsAL. GRATEfBAR-MOLDING MACHINE.

Application med March 6,1926, serial naeas'ae, and in. Germany Mayeaiezs.

This invention relates to a machine for molding grate bars and has for itsprincipal object to provide an improved machinecapable of molding a plurality `of grateA bars 5 automatically in one operation. Y t y A particular object of theinvention is to 1 rprovide :pt-machine in which ra number of molds for grate barsy of diiferent sizes are made. automatically without any skilled at- 10 tention being necessary tok ensure accurate machine.

Fig?) shows the worm-drive fory the columnsofthe pressing plate.

Fig. 4 showsa worm drive with reversible friction coupling. Y Y y Fig. 5 shows the mechanism for automatically disengaging the, worm shaft at the highest and lowest position of the pressing plate.l j

Fig. 6 illustrates the stopping mechanism for the molding machine. l

Fig. 7 shows the pressing plate in *crossv section. Y

Fig. 8,isa top plan view ofthe pressing plate and Figs. 9 and y1() show two follower4 plates respectively for` one row and threerowsof grate-bars.

Gnlithe .-.iloorl of the foundrytwo stabley longitudinal walls 2 of concrete Aor other convenient. material are-erected at a-distance corresponding to 4the width of the molding, machine.. On these walls rails 3.are fixed 1n an accurately"horiZontal-:planeqso that the moldigfmachine running on thesame is lpermanently in horizontal position. A

The {grate-bar molding machine vconsists essentially of, two side. frames 4 rigidly connected itogetherby a. strong transverse bar 5 andy lof `a pressingplate 7 vwhich is .securely fiifed'` toithree. columns 6 @andto lwhich the follower plateS is connected. InV the lower ends'of the side frames 4 running wheels 9i are mounted'at such distance apart viewed inthe direction of travel that the pressing plate and the follower plate can freely. pass vbetween the same. A bar 10 on the outer, side of each sideframe 4 servesv to stiffen these frames .and to afford aV better mounting for Athe running wheels.

On one of theside frames 4 a bracket 11 is ned on which is mounted a motor 12 fromv which by worm andwormwheel 13 a verti-l cal shaft 14 is rotated which. carries on its upperend abevel wheel 15. The bevel wheel 15 gears with two bevel wheels 16, 17 loosely mounted onv a shaft 18 and rotating inopposite directions (Fig. 4). rllhe bevel wheels 16 and 17have each a conically turned ring 19 each. ring havinga lining 20 of red bronze or similar soft-'friction material. y Between the two bevel wheels 16 and 17 a friction clutch member 21 is mountedso that ,it canl shift on shaft 18 in longitudinal direction.'-

.Y the correspondingbevel wheel. The shifting of clutch 21 is eifected by 'means'ofa twoarm'ed lever 24 pivotally mounted on av pin 25 andengaging with" its forkshaped end into a ring groove 2G of the clutch the other endlof said lever having a handle 27.A When the lever 24 is in the central position m (Fig. 5) the. clutch is `not in en ragementr with either of the bevel wheels 16 and 17. The ppsitionsh `and a of theilever v24 correspond to the raisingand lowering of thepressing plate 7. Anautomatic disengaging mechanism .which will be. hereinafter described ef? fectslthedisengagingof the'clutch at th'e'corvarrivedlatthe lowest or highest admissible fit `wheels 30 are each mounted in. a cage 'il on balls and have each a square threaded bore mounted on one ol' the square threaded columns 6 to which the plates and S are lixed which are thus moved down and up. The columns G extend through the transverse bar 5, the threads being protected against dust by casings 32 on the bar 5. The thread in each column extends only so ar that it does not project from the corresponding casing when the pressing plate 7 is in the raised position. The smooth upper end ot the columns (3 is of such length that it slightly projects from the corresponding casing 3Q when the pressing plate T is in the lowest position, the columns being thus permanently well guided. The lower ends ot the columns are rigidly lixed on the pressing plate 7, said plate being preferably made from cast steel and having a number ot apertures 38 to reduce the weight.

Two extensions 3l, one at cach short side serve to properly guide the pressing plate 7 between bars lixed on the side trames Ll.

On the lower surface oli the pressing plate 7 a convenient number of grate-bar patterns 36 are fixed, as shown in Fig. l) ol the drawing six patterns and as shown in Fig. 'l0 three rows each of' six patterns. The patterns 36 are preferably lixed on a common plate tcorresponding .iu plan View to Figs. 9 or 10) so that the patterns can be accurately adjusted outside the machine. This common plate 3T is then tixed on the lower sur'lface of the pressing plate 7 which has a number oi screw holes 23S :tor the screws designed to tix plate 3T. In the lower surface ot the pressing plate T a special aperture 39 may be arranged designed to receive the pattern plate 3T so that no special adjusting is necessary. Special thickenings et() (Fig. l) on the pattern plate 3i' serve to produce the inlets and connecting channels.

Underneath the pressing plate 7, at a conyenient distance from the same7 a 'follower plate 8 is ar anged so that it can be moved in vertical direction. The follower plate is guided between the,` bars` of the side frames The follower plate is mounted on four bolts Lll which pass Yfreely through holes in the pressing plate and are held at their upper ends in casings 42 fixed on the pressing plate, the follower plate being fixed on the lower end ott each bolt by two nuts 18. Spiral springs 4:3 each wound around the corresponding bolt are inserted between the pressing plate and the follower plate so that the latter is permanently pressed away 'from the pressing plate. then the pressing plate 7 descends the vfollower plate S rests upon the mold bottoni and the pressing plate comesgriulually closer to said follower plate atV the same time compressing the spiral springs which are accommodated in the casings l2 and in the bores l-*lin the pressing plate, the bolts el-.l piojcctmg troni the casmgs L12. According to the arrangement and size o't the grate'bar patterns on the.

pressingplate apertures -il are arranged in the follower plate through which the grate bar patterns Sti pass and `further apertures lo or i? 'for the inlets and tor the connecting channels.

The horizontal plane 41S) in which the upper ends of the rails $5 are situated the limit ot the down fard stroke ol the machine so that the plates used during the casting of the grate bars can rest upon said rails The upper surfaces ot the cast grate bars will then be all in the same plane as indicated in Fig. l1, in dot and dash lines.

ln order to stop the movement o'lE the pressing plate autoniati Ially at the highest and lowest position oft said plate an automatically acting disengaging device :tor the clutch member 2l is arranged (Fig. 5).

The automatic eil'ect olf this device consists in that a toothed wheel 5() keyed on shaft lil drives a toothed wheel 5l having a threaded bore. By the thread of this bore a spindle 52 is screwed in or out according to the direction ot rotation. The end 525 of the spindle is llat and serves as support :tor the leve- On this flat end 53 0l spindle 52 two stops are adjustably mounted at such a distance the one from the other that when the pressing plate 7 is in the highest orlowest position. they bear against 4the lever Qet and bring the same into the central position m so that the clutch is disengaged :from both bevel wheels lo and 17. As the stopsv are adjustable the stroke can be regulated `at will. rlhe disengaging mechanism might be ol anyother convenient type as part ot the invention. i

For fixing the crate-bar molding machine in any desired po dion on the rails a pair oi" clamping jaws 5G is hingedly mounted on each side frame -ljsaid clamping jawsbeing pivotablo around axles :755 (Fig. and gripping over the heads 57 olf the rails i3. By a toggle screw 58 and a uut 5l) having a. handle the clamping jaws can be strongly pressed against the rails so that the molding machine is securely held on the rails in its` actual position.

The operation oit the grate-bai.' molding machine is as follows j The surilface oit the sand bed on the ioor designed for the molding is prepared inthe usual manner and alayer 60 of line sandlis heaped on this surface. Over this heap 60 the molding machine is brought and fixe-d in position by means of the clamping jaws 56. The plate 37 with the grate-bar patterns and the corresponding follower plate S having been mounted on the pressing plate 7 the machine is started by means of lever 24 so that the pressing plate 7 with the patterns deit forms noV S fi loo

scends. The follower plate 8 comes first in cont-act with the' layer of sand 60 and is thus stopped. The pressing plate 7 continues to descend and pushes the patterns 36 through the apertures 45, 46 and 47 of plate 8 and into the layer of sand 60. After the pressing r disengaging device (F ig. 5).

tra

n order to pull the patterns out of the that the pressing plate ascends'. (Engaging Vof the clutch in opposite direction would not be possible as lever 24 is blocked by one of the stops 54 when the pressing plate 7 is in the lowest position.)V When plate 7 ascends the plate'8 remains 'at rest owing to its weight and to the pressure of springs 43 until the patterns 36 `have been pulled through plate 8 which is then raised by the bolts 4l. This remaining at rest of plate 8 is very important as otherwise the edges of the molds would break off when the -patterns are withdrawn. Y

The machine shown by way of example holds six grate bars.V If the machine is moved on the rails 3 the extreme grate bar patterns will come in engagement with the` end mold of the six molds which have last been formed and will prevent destruction of the last molds during the fresh'molding. 7e claim y l. A transportable molding machine for vmolding' grate bars without the .use of molding boxes directly and continuously in theY sand bed ofthe foundry, comprising in combination threaded columns, worm wheel gears for rotating said threaded columns, a pressing` plate fixed Y to said columns and holding` the patterns a follower plate underneath said pressing plate, two vertical'side frames mounted on running wheels directly upon the sand bed of the foundry, and means for locking' said frames at any point in the foundry.

2. A transportable molding machine formolding grate bars without the use of molding box-es directly and continuously in the sand bed of the foundry, comprising in combination threaded columns, worm wheel gears -for rotating said threaded columns, a pressing plate fixed to said columns, smooth plate removably fixed to the lower surface of said pressing plate so that 'the patterns'for the grate bars can be fixed on said smooth plate outside'the machine, a follower plate underneathy said pressing plate, two vertical side frames mounted on running wheels directly upon the sand bed of the foundry, and means for locking said frames at any point on the rails.

pressing plateso that the patterns forther grate bars can be fixed on'said smooth plate outside the machine, a follower plate fixed to said guide bolts, a spiral spring wound around each guide bolt between the lower surface of said smooth plate and the top surface of saidfollow-er plate, two vertical side frames mounted on running wheels directly upon the sand bed of the foundry,

and means for locking said frames at any point 1n the foundry.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

' THEoDoR THoMsEN, sENiOR. THEoDoR THoMsEN, JUNIOR. 

